Recumbent - Climbing on a V-Rex

"Climbing", "hills", and "mountains" being relative terms, understand I'm from Indiana. Not Kansas prairie flat, and relatively hilly in the South, but my idea of hills is skewed toward flatness.

After about 7 years being 'bent, I've done more climbing this year than previously. First I did a ride in New Hampshire's White Mountains (68 miles, 4k), then a bit of hills in 400k and 600k brevets (Ohio and Illinois, respectively), then this past weekend the Hilly Hundred (Day 1 57 miles 5k, Day 2 49 miles 4k). Yeah I know to some people that's flat. Like I said, relative.

My overall impression or climbing on the V-Rex is (drum roll) it's heavy and you can't stand up. Duh. I blew by people who are slower than me, and was blown away by people who are faster. That's about it. I won't shy away from hilly any more.

http://www.hillyhundred.org/Route.html
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/3-notch-ride-white-mountains

I don't know of anybody who would call 5200 feet in 52 miles "flat." Climbing at a rate of 100 ft/mile pretty much defines "seriously hilly" even for mountain goats. "My route is hillier than your route" contests aside, the Hilly Hundred is no pushover.

I think I saw your green V-Rex at the 1st stop on Saturday, leaned up against a truck. You could fix the 'heavy' complaint by getting a lighter wheelset and skinny tires, and get rid of the 30-lb rear trunk. FTR, I not only pedaled all the hills, I only used my granny ring once on Saturday: Cow Pie, I think; and twice on Sunday: Tabor and Water Tower. I really hated that the roads were so clogged with bikes that I didn't get any good downhill runs. Top speed for the weekend was only something like 44 mph. I can check my speedo tonight to see for sure. My best ALMOST-speed run was coming off Water Tower Hill. I was set to get air on that little roller, but I had to hit the brakes hard because of a van stuck behind some S-L-O-W riders on hybrids. I think I need new brake pads after that weekend!

We were passed by a not-yellow/silver V-Rex on Sunday.
I rode my Rex last year on both days and made it up everything but Mt. Tabor.
Mt. Tabor defeated us on our tandem this year; got up all the hills on Saturday on my V3 but am not too proud to say that I used the little ring for every significant hill.

My V-Rex is pearl white with a blue front fork. It could look silver/yellowish I suppose but surely not green. Does have a rack/trunk and was leaning against the water truck at lunch Saturday. I thought about pulling the trunk, rack, and front fender off for the hilly, but what the heck it's not a race and I was confident I could get up the hills. I did pull out most of my randonneuring repair/first-aid kit, leaving just tire repair essentials. If I really wanted to get light I could drop 20 pounds from my body, without spending a dime :)

My V-Rex is pearl white with a blue front fork. It could look silver/yellowish I suppose but surely not green.

What I saw was definitely not yours, then. It might have been an old V-Rex, because the color was the old 'sharkskin.' I can't imagine anyone choosing that color if they were getting their frame painted.

. . . I won't shy away from hilly any more . . .

I think you've found the master key!